A method of the kind referred to above for controlling the injection of fuel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,803. This patent describes a method for controlling the injection of fuel of a high-pressure fuel pump. The quantity of fuel to be injected into the engine can be determined by a magnetic valve. In the pumping phase of a pumping element, the magnetic valve is selectively closed and opened so that a preinjection and thereafter a main injection can be carried out. Variations occur with respect to the quantity of fuel injected into the individual cylinders because of manufacturing tolerances and aging. These variations cause different quantities to be supplied to the engine during preinjection for the same drive signal. With respect to preinjection quantities, only very small quantities are involved and for this reason, the situation can occur wherein one or no preinjection at all occurs for the same drive signal. This causes the advantages of the preinjection to be lost; that is, increased combustion noise occurs.